The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Vatican City, 24 March 2015 (VIS) –
The Pontifical Council for the Family has organised an international
vigil to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the publication of
St. John Paul II's encyclical “Evangelium Vitae”. According to a
press release from the dicastery, the event is a form of thanksgiving
for the fruits of the pastoral care of life, and will also serve to
spread the benefits of prayer for life as well as to recall eternal
life, the destiny of every human being.

The vigil will be divided into three
stages: it will begin at 5 p.m. in the Roman basilica of St. Mary
Major, with an explanation of various artistic elements of the
basilica relating to the theme of life. At 6 p.m. an original rosary
will be prayed, focusing on the contemplation of the Gospel passages
linked to the theme of life, interspersed with experiences related by
the faithful. This will be followed, at 7 p.m., by a Eucharistic
celebration presided by Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the
Pontifical Council for the Family, who comments that “the
anniversary of the Encyclical and this vigil that commemorates it, on
the eve of the Annunciation, is particularly meaningful as it makes
manifest the intimate connection between the mystery of life and the
experience of the family, made up of affection and social
relationships. Defending life means participating in the alliance
between God, man and woman”.

The international character of the
vigil is accentuated by the participation of the shrines of Fatima,
Lourdes and Guadalupe, where rosaries will be recited, dedicated to
life, as part of the initiative “A rosary embraces the world”.

The Italian television channel Telepace
will transmit live the events of the vigil from 5.15 p.m., while
English-, French- and Italian-speaking viewers will be able to take
part in the Holy Rosaries of Lourdes, according to the following
schedule: at 2.30 p.m. (local time) the Rosary will be broadcast by
the main American Catholic television channels; at 3.30 p.m. by the
French Catholic channel KTO, and at 6 p.m. in Italy, by the
broadcaster TV2000.

Vatican City, 24 March 2015 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has expressed his gratitude for the proceeds raised
by the lottery in support of his works of charity, which took place
in January. The entire sum has been consigned to Archbishop Konrad
Krajewski, almoner of His Holiness. In view of the widespread
participation and generosity of many people, Pope Francis has made
more prizes available to enable the initiative to be repeated.

The second lottery draw will take place
on the solemnity of the Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of Rome, and
the lucky numbers draw (each ticket costs 10 euros) is scheduled for
30 July, in the presence of a commission to guarantee the correct
procedures. Prizes can be claimed during the following thirty days in
the Department of Events Coordination of the Governorate of Vatican
City State. Also on this occasion, like the first lottery, the
proceeds will go directly to the Pope.

Tickets will be available from the
Vatican Pharmacy, the Post Office, the Vatican supermarket, the
“Station” warehouse, the sales outlets of the Philatelic and
Numismatic Office, and the Vatican Museums bookshop.

Vatican City, 24 March 2015 (VIS) –
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United
Nations in New York, spoke on 13 March at the 59th Session of the
Commission on the Status of Women, which analysed the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action, with a view also to advancing
women’s empowerment and equality in a post-2015 development agenda.

“There has been considerable progress
for the cause of women in many countries, especially in the areas of
education, political representation, and economic participation”,
said the nuncio. “In spite of the admirable efforts and significant
advances, however, still too many women continue to face
discrimination and many forms of violence just for being women”.

“The goal of eradicating poverty, in
particular extreme poverty, is at the heart of the Holy See’s
concerns. The Catholic Church has nearly unparalleled experience of
the needs of the poor through its bimillennial experience and through
hundreds of thousands of programs and institutions serving poor women
and men the world over”, he continued. “The promotion of
inclusive and equitable economies has a profound impact in advancing
the status of women. Indeed, women are experiencing unique economic
distress linked to unfair employment policies, unequal pay for equal
work, the denial of access to credit and property, and victimisation
in situations of conflicts and migration. Notwithstanding the fact
that women constitute the majority of the poor and are affected by
the burden of poverty in very specific ways, they are nevertheless
courageously at the forefront in the fight to eradicate extreme
poverty. From this perspective, the fight for the advancement of
women must also mean assuring them equal access to resources, capital
and technology”.

The archbishop underlined that “studies
have demonstrated that fragile family structures and the decline of
marriage among the poor are very closely linked to poverty among
women. Single mothers are left alone to raise children. Many mothers
in situations of distress fail to send their children to school, thus
entangling them in the vicious circle of poverty and marginalisation.
… Numerous reports by the Secretary-General have highlighted the
centrality of the family for poverty eradication and sustainable
development”.

The Holy See takes note of the report
by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
problems and attacks girls continue to suffer in accessing education.
“My delegation is convinced that the fight for equal access to
education for girls, especially quality education, is an
indispensable component in the fight for the advancement of women …
and reiterates Pope Francis' readiness of to work with all those who
are seeking each day to build a world that concretely treats women as
equals, in the diversity of gifts and strengths, toward the greater
common good of all”.